Blanton Collier’s 1959 University of Kentucky Staff.
Don Shula and…
Second from the left, is a very studly looking 25-ish year old Howard Schnellenberger.
Reached for comment, Howard said, “Hey, I wasn’t born middle aged, you know.”
Howard played for Bear Bryant at Kentucky and was an All American end. (Tight End?)
Played in the CFL briefly. When he left college, there was only about 10 pro teams in the NFL.
The AFL didn’t kick in until 1960, so there were not all that many pro jobs open back then.
Schula and Collier (Browns) faced off in two NFL Championship games 1964 and 1968, splitting lopsided wins. Schula became HC of the Baltimore Colts in 1963 when he was in his early 30’s. He famously lost Super Bowl 3 to the AFL NY Jets coached by Weeb Eubank, who was the HC of the great Unitas-led Colt teams of the late 1950’s. Schula played DB for Eubank for several seasons with the Colts.
Schula played DB in the NFL for seven seasons with stints under Paul Brown and Weeb Eubank… In his last pro game, he was totally owned by his former Colt teammate, Raymond Berry, (giving up 12 receptions) an NFL HOFer who is widely recognized as one of the best receivers ever. He was the HC of the Patriots for a time. He was a 20th round pick out of SMU in 1955. He is still alive at 90.
Bill Arnsparger (on the far right in the pic) was also on Collier’s 1959 UK staff. He became Schula’s DC in Miami and was the HC of the NY Giants for a few seasons in the mid 1970’s.
So THAT is what he looks like without a walrus mustache and a pipe.